


Coming Home

by ahundredgyozas



Series: He Ain't Heavy (He's My Brother) [2]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Boys Being Boys, Brotherhood, Character Study, Gen, Introspection, Light Angst, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-21
Updated: 2015-07-21
Packaged: 2018-04-10 11:41:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4390493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahundredgyozas/pseuds/ahundredgyozas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p></p><blockquote>
  <p> "My old man was supposed to move in with me, but he ended up having to go back to America after all the paperwork went through for school, so I ended up staying behind." - Kagami Taiga (Vol 16, Chpt 140) </p>
</blockquote><p>Kagami returns home after a long day at school.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming Home

**Author's Note:**

> alternate title - kagami lives alone at ages 15/16. where is the canon teenage angst?
> 
> warnings - once again, massive liberties taken with canon, personalities, japanese culture, names and honorifics. do let me know where i messed up with them. 
> 
> part 2 of the kagahimu bro series.

Rolling his right shoulder experimentally, Taiga winces in pain as he walks down the length of the pavement leading to his apartment block. It has been a long day at school, filled with dull lessons and even duller teachers. Worse still, even though it's still a few good weeks leading up to the Inter-High Tournament preliminaries, Coach is already hell-bent on making the team suffer at every practice. While Taiga would normally welcome the dull ache in his limbs after a good training session, he is definitely not appreciating it today, for not only had he failed several of his tests, but that bastard Kuroko had also taken it upon himself to chase Taiga around with Nigou as "punishment".

As it is, Taiga is in no mood to celebrate. All he wants to do now is to go home, heat up some leftovers for dinner and maybe take a nice, long nap.

\---

Just as he steps onto the corridor leading up to his apartment, Taiga immediately senses something different about the place. He doesn't have to think for long as to what it is, for the answer comes easily to him thanks to his sensitive sense of smell.

Someone is cooking curry in his apartment.

More specifically, someone is cooking his mom's special curry in his apartment.

Taiga's footsteps quicken.

\---

He flings the front door open with more force than necessary and bounds through the doorway.

"Mom…?" Dropping his bag at the doorway, Taiga can't help but stare at the familiar figure, moving about at ease in his kitchen.

"You're… home?"

The woman turns around gracefully, and Taiga is suddenly staring into a familiar pair of crimson eyes; eyes that are a mirror image of his own. "Tai-chan! Welcome home!" Dropping the dishcloth on the counter, the petite redhead emerges from the kitchen to greet her son, enveloping Taiga in a warm hug. "How was school today? Do you have a lot of homework? Have you had dinner?"

Extricating himself from his mother's tight embrace, Taiga rolls his eyes at her barrage of questions. "Fine, yes, no," he replies gruffly. Removing his shoes, socks and blazer and tossing them haphazardly at the entrance way, Taiga flops bonelessly onto the couch. He'll tidy up later when he's less tired.

Kagami Akane pouts at her son's prone form, hands on her hips, before accepting that she won't get a more detailed explanation out of him. Taiga is never one for long-winded answers, after all. She sighs in resignation, before turning to straighten his shoes and to pick up his dirty clothing. "Well, you're just in time to have dinner with me. I've made curry, so help yourself to it."

From his comfortable position on the couch, Taiga emits a small sound of acknowledgement. He likes cooking, but sometimes it's nice to be cooked for for a change.

And nothing beats his mom's special curry.

\---

They end up sitting at his dining table, facing each other. Taiga's bowl is piled high with his usual serving of rice, while his mom has a significantly smaller portion. Akane says her graces first and Taiga follows suit. The words feel stilted and unnatural on his tongue.

Just as they are beginning to eat, however, Akane frowns at him.

"Tai-chan, are you sure that's enough rice for you? Help yourself to more if you like - I made plenty."

Taiga sighs irritably. His mom is seriously a worrywart. "Yes mom, I'll take more once I'm done."

"Fine, fine - I get it. My son's a big boy - he can take care of himself now." Taiga's mom huffs, but there's a look of undisguised fondness in her eyes. Taiga coughs in embarrassment, looking away as he tries to quash the blush rising in his cheeks. Damn it, trust his mom to be able to turn dinner into such a sentimental affair.

They eat in comfortable silence, occasionally pausing between bites to exchange news about their lives. Taiga tells his mother about his day, and in return, she shares new recipes with him, gives him random household cleaning tips, and regales him with stories about her trips to the supermarket that Taiga only half listens to. Instead, he lets his mom's musical voice wash over him - soothing, warm, and very much like the Californian waves he loves.

As his mom chatters on, Taiga smiles slightly into his rice bowl, a warm feeling settling in his stomach that has little to do with the curry currently simmering in the pot.

\---

"Tai-chan. How're you coping with everything?"

"I'm good, mom," Taiga replies offhandedly, heading to the kitchen to help himself to more rice.

Akane purses her lips.

\---

"How's your father? I haven't heard from him in a while."

"Yeah. He's still stuck in LA, but he calls sometimes. He did say he'll be returning to Japan more often next year… Or something like that," Taiga mumbles through a mouthful of rice.

His mother clucks in disapproval. "Guess it can't be helped - I still wish he visits you more often, though. I'm still not comfortable with you living alone."

"It's no big deal. I'm already used to it."

\---

"Taiga. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine. Stop asking already."

\---

It is midway through dinner when Akane sets down her chopsticks, fixing him with an unreadable look. Taiga looks at her quizzically, but then she smiles. It is a small and sad smile, and Taiga recoils involuntarily. He still isn't good with upset females, and it is infinitely much worse when the female is his own mom.

He stares at her apprehensively.

"You…" Akane begins, and Taiga can't help but notice that there's an uncharacteristic trace of hesitation in her voice, "you used to share your problems with me all the time... But you're coming to me much less these days," she murmurs, absentmindedly reaching a hand over to remove a few stray grains of rice scattered on his face.

"I can't help but be worried, can I?"

Taiga flushes and looks away, skin prickling under the heat of his mom's penetrating stare.

She isn't wrong, though. She did have a right to be worried.

\---

_"Mom, Tatsuya thinks I'm going easy on him on purpose, and he punched me… But… I don't wanna stop being brothers with him!"_

_"Mom, I wanna make okonomiyaki, but the ingredients in this recipe are all written in kanji. Argh, why is kanji so confusing?"_

_"Mom, as I thought, the Japanese basketball scene isn't as good as that in America, after all."_

_"Mom, I really hate studying. Why can't I just play basketball instead?"_

_"Mom, I thought I could do it, but… I don't think it's so easy, after all… Living alone, that is."_

_"Mom, I… I think I miss LA... At least I had friends there."_

\---

And so, Taiga decides to indulge his mom a little.

He tells his mom about Seirin, about how he barely made it in, but for the fact that it's a new school that had been actively recruiting students. Tells his mom about how the workload is much larger than it was in middle school, and about how he still cannot handle kanji.

Taiga tells his mom about Seirin's basketball team. He talks about the amazing phantom player Kuroko; his fearsome Coach; his scary Captain; the air-headed yet selfless Kiyoshi-senpai; the pun-obsessed Izuki-senpai; the strong yet silent Mitobe-senpai; the jack-of-all-trades Koganei-senpai; the reliable Tsuchida-senpai; his dependable and friendly peers Furi, Kawahara and Fukuda; the stupid dog Nigou he's forced to take care of, and finally, about the promising new juniors that have yet to start formal practice. Taiga talks about the monsters that are the Generation of Miracles, and about how excited he is to play them again in the upcoming Inter-High Tournament.

Last but not least, Taiga tells his mom that he had reconciled with Tatsuya last winter, and that they are planning a short trip to the beach together next summer.

Akane merely listens attentively through it all, not once interrupting his long spiel.

\---

"I'm… glad," she finally says, once he's done. She looks at him thoughtfully. "Seirin seems like a good school."

"Yeah, it is. I'm… thankful that I got in there," Taiga replies, blushing slightly, still not used to voicing his true feelings out loud. "So, I'm… sorry mom, if I've not been talking to you as often these days."

"No, I understand now," Akane waves his apology away breezily. She stands up briskly, moving around the table to collect the dishes. "And I'm reassured. Still, I just want you to know that I'll always be here if you need me, okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks, mom." he grins at her, his smile equal parts bright and roguish. "And thanks for the meal."

She returns his smile, a spitting image of his, and reaches over to ruffle his hair affectionately.

"That's my boy. Go take a nap, and I'll wash up."

Taiga rises from the table, deciding to obey his mom for once. Just then, he hears Akane's voice behind him, soft and slightly tremulous, but filled with so much tenderness, affection and love that Taiga inadvertently stops in his tracks.

"I… I'm really proud of you, Tai-chan. I want you to always remember that."

Taiga looks back, but his mom is already walking towards the kitchen.

Swallowing, Taiga shuffles to his room, trying to ignore the sudden pressure in his chest and the tears pooling in his eyes.

\---

"Taiga. Taiga."

Taiga is roused by a hand softly shaking his shoulder, but he's too comfortable right now to move. Shrugging off the hand on his shoulder, Taiga rolls over to his side, curling into a ball.

"Five more minutes, mom," he slurs, drifting back into sleep.

"Taiga. Wake up, it's almost nine." The hand is shaking his shoulder more insistently now, and Taiga knows he can't ignore it any longer. Groaning and stifling a yawn, Taiga lets himself be dragged into a sitting position. He finds himself face to face with Tatsuya, who is kneeling next to him.

"Tatsuya!" Still drowsy, Taiga blinks at his sworn brother in confusion, before he remembers where they actually are. "What're you doing here?"

Tatsuya reaches out a hand, smiling slightly.

"Just doing my duty as your elder brother."

Taiga grabs the proffered hand, gingerly getting to his feet. Tatsuya's hand is cool against Taiga's, and if Taiga grips Tatsuya's hand tighter than necessary, Tatsuya doesn't protest. Still, Taiga opens his mouth, intending to apologise, but the words die in his throat when he notices the myriad emotions reflected in the cool grey depths of Tatsuya's uncovered eye. It is an uncharacteristic expression on Tatsuya's usual poker face, but it's enough to make Taiga close his mouth gratefully.

Mouth set in a grim line, Taiga resolutely turns away from his elder brother. He makes his way to the footpath with long strides, but slowly enough to ensure that Tatsuya is still following steadily behind him. Tatsuya doesn't say anything when Taiga blinks rapidly heavenward, but Taiga appreciates it even more when he feels Tatsuya's hand gently pressing a handkerchief into his own larger one.

"Tatsuya. Want to stay over for the night? You can take my dad's room. I'm making curry tomorrow."

"Fine by me. It's too late to go back to Akita, anyway."

Behind them, a white carnation and a red rose rest side-by-side against a slab of grey marble, their petals stirring softly in the cool evening breeze.

**Author's Note:**

> based on my headcanon is that all through his middle school year before seirin, kagami goes to his mom's grave to talk about his problems. (yes i refuse to believe that any mother would leave baby kagami)
> 
> edit: why is it that i notice the little errors only after i post the fics :(


End file.
